In praise of the Earth

Sunday April 22nd is the 'official' Earth Day. Whether you are a Climate Change believer or not, a staunch environmentalist or a free trade shopper or a geez maybe recycling isn't such a bad idea after all sort a person......do yourself a favor and at the very least take a moment to notice the ground, the air, the trees, the world that hosts us each and every day. Touch into the awe of it in your own way this Sunday. And maybe a little of it will rub off on all the other days of the year as well.

And here is a John O'Donohue poem that helps me not lose sight of the magic.....

In Praise of the Earth
Let us bless
The imagination of the Earth.
That knew early the patience
To harness the mind of time,
Waited for the seas to warm,
Ready to welcome the emergence
Of things dreaming of voyaging
Among the stillness of land.
And how light knew to nurse
The growth until the face of the Earth
Brightened beneath a vision of color.
When the ages of ice came
And sealed the Earth inside
An endless coma of cold,
The heart of the Earth held hope,
Storing fragments of memory,
Ready for the return of the sun.
Let us thank the Earth
That offers ground for home
And holds our feet firm
To walk in space open
To infinite galaxies.
Let us salute the silence
And certainty of mountains:
Their sublime stillness,
Their dream-filled hearts.
The wonder of a garden
Trusting the first warmth of spring
Until its black infinity of cells
Becomes charged with dream;
Then the silent, slow nurture
Of the seed's self, coaxing it
To trust the act of death.
The humility of the Earth
That transfigures all
That has fallen
Of outlived growth.
The kindness of the Earth,
Opening to receive
Our worn forms
Into the final stillness.
Let us ask forgiveness of the Earth
For all our sins against her:
For our violence and poisonings
Of her beauty.
Let us remember within us
The ancient clay,
Holding the memory of seasons,
The passion of the wind,
The fluency of water,
The warmth of fire,
The quiver-touch of the sun
And shadowed sureness of the moon.
That we may awaken,
To live to the full
The dream of the Earth
Who chose us to emerge
And incarnate its hidden night
In mind, spirit, and light.
~ John O'Donohue ~
(To Bless the Space Between Us)

The Happy Secret to Better Work - another favorite Ted Talk

4 core steps to take EACH DAY for 21 days:
1. Write 3 new things for which you are grateful
2. Take the time to journal about one positive experience you had in the past 24 hours
3. Find the time to meditate and avoid multitasking so that you can focus fully on one task at a time
4. Consider writing a short email to thank or congraulate someone in your network of connections